Now entering his third year as Georgia Tech?s defensive coordinator, Ted Roof presided over the remarkable improvement of the Rambling Wreck defense in 2000.

Despite starting six freshmen and sophomores, the Tech defense ranked 12th in the nation in rushing defense and 20th in scoring defense last fall, allowing just 19.0 points per game. The Yellow Jackets were also second in the country in turnover margin.

Roof, who works with Tech?s linebackers, is in his fourth year on the Tech staff.

One of the top defensive players in Georgia Tech history, Roof returned to his alma mater as linebackers coach in 1998 after one season as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Western Carolina. He also served two years (1995-96) as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Massachusetts.

In 1994 in his first season at UMass, Roof was the Minutemen?s defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to that, he spent four years as outside linebackers coach at Duke (1990-93) under Barry Wilson and one year as linebackers coach at West Georgia College (1989) under Mac McWhorter.

Roof began his coaching career at Alabama in 1987 as a graduate assistant under Bill Curry.

A native of Lawrenceville and a graduate of Central Gwinnett High School, Roof lettered four times for the Jackets during the 1982-85 seasons. He started his final three seasons and was the leader of the Rambling Wreck?s famed "Black Watch" defense as a senior, when he served as team captain.

A first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 1985, he still ranks seventh on the Jackets? all-time tackling list with 417 hits and is sixth in career tackles for loss with 25.

Roof, 37, who was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998, earned his bachelor?s degree from Tech in Management in 1987.

Roof, and his wife, the former Pam Ash of Fayetteville, Ga., are the parents of two-year-old twin boys, Terrence Davis and Michael Edwin.